


The Roasted Bean

by ElicitObtainer



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Bisexual Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Business, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Cute, Developing Relationship, Established Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Female Friendship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Lesbian Character, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27182062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElicitObtainer/pseuds/ElicitObtainer
Summary: When Regina Mills notices a newly opened cafe close to her job, she decides to try it out. Coffee was never truly her thing, but the cute blonde barista may be the reason why Regina spends way too much time in the cafe. A generic, yet fluffy Swanqueen fanfic that you could read in your free time.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 144





	1. One Iced Caramel Latte, Please

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy this fluffy and cute Swanqueen coffeeshop fanfic. There will maybe be a few chapters but no in depth, complex story behind it.

Mondays were always the most tiring day of the week, but today Regina swore that Sundays were the most dreadful. She had, what felt like, hundreds of tests to grade for work. She was an AP English teacher for high school students, and her tests had multiple choice and short answer questions. The students were tortured taking the exams, while Regina was tortured grading them… by hand.

Being at home was nice, but Regina wanted to do her work elsewhere today. Perhaps she could do some work, then go clothes shopping later on. Yeah, they sounded like a good idea. Treat herself for doing the minimum. Ha.

The brunette put her rather large stack of papers and her laptop in a backpack before walking out to her car. She got in, buckled up, and drove off. She didn’t know where she’d go to do her work, maybe a library. But the library was all the way across town, and she had already made the turn to go to where she worked. Maybe there was somewhere close by the school that she could go to. 

Ironically, there was. Not too far from her job, she noticed a rather new coffee shop. There weren’t many cars, so not many people were there. It was the perfect place to go to work peacefully. Regina parked and grabbed her bag before walking into the shop. It was very cozy; soft music playing in the background and small tables to sit at. There was an area with couches and fluffy rugs, too, and a small shelf with books to read and board games to play. There was, maybe, two people sitting down and drinking their coffees. This place was definitely new, and not so popular.

Regina walked up to the front counter and looked up at the wall where the written menu was. She hummed quietly to herself, scrunching her nose as she thought of what to order.

“You know what you want?”

“Hm?” Regina was snapped from her thoughts as her eyes darted over to the beautiful blonde behind the counter. She blinked once, twice, before Regina’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

“Oh, um.. No, not yet.”

“If you ask me, the iced caramel lattes are the best,” the blonde chuckled, “And no, I’m not forced to say that.”

“Heh..” Regina smiled slightly and shook her head at the response. This barista was cute as hell. Regina had to control herself, “I’ll take your word for it, then.”

“Wait, really?” The blonde raised her eyebrows, “Sweet, alright! I’ll get it right out for you!” She said and started working on Regina’s drink. 

Regina took a moment to look at the blonde while she was busy working. She had a name tag: Emma. She whispered it quietly to herself and it rolled off the tongue perfectly. Luckily the blonde didn’t look up, because Regina swore she was uncomfortably staring at her. She moved her eyes away to look around once again, this time looking for a place to sit. 

Shifting slightly on her feet, Regina hummed as she figured out the place she would sit at. She was going to put her backpack there until she heard the blonde speak up.

“One iced caramel latte,” Emma said, placing the drink on the pick up counter.

“Thank you,” Regina replied and pulled out her card, handing it to Emma.

Emma laughed and shook her head quickly, “On the house.”

Regina raised a brow.

“Oh come on, don’t be shocked,” Emma smirked, “It’s on me, I swear it.”

“I don’t think your manager would like that very much.”

“Oh you’re right, hold on, let me get her,” Emma turned around and fixed her hair real quick before turning back around, “You asked for the manager, Karen?”

“I- You aren’t-” 

“I am,” Emma chuckled, “And I say, enjoy. Just let me know if you actually like it or not.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile and took the drink. She turned, walking over to the table she’s had her eye on. Getting herself situated, she pulled out a small stack of papers, her answer key, a red pen, and began grading the tests. Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slow as she checked every question, read every short answer, and wrote every grade number. She finally took a sip of the cold drink she got not too long ago, and it actually tasted pretty good.

Regina was never one for coffee, she was more of a tea person. She never would have gotten this one if it wasn’t for a peculiar blonde, who so happened to have her eyes on the brunette. Regina took notice, and raised her eyebrow in question. Emma’s cheeks turned red at sight and she turned away.

Regina was unaware of Emma’s staring for quite some time. Right when the brunette began grading the tests, Emma couldn’t keep her eyes off her. She busied herself with cleaning glass cups and restocking coffee syrups, but overall, her eyes were practically glued.

The brunette was beautiful, and she didn’t even know her name. All Emma knew was that she wanted to have the guts to speak to her. But , she looked busy, and Emma refused to bother her. Therefore, she mainly stared at Regina. And she didn’t want it to look weird, or creepy, but once the brunette looked up and noticed, Emma’s cheeks had flushed red with embarrassment and she carried on doing what she was.

Regina went through what felt like hundreds of papers before she realized she desperately needed a break. Having finished her iced coffee, she figured she had no other reason to be here. Except for being in the presence of the blonde. But that was weird. Regina didn’t even know her like that. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Regina packed up her stuff and stood up. She tossed out her empty cup and Emma noticed she was about to leave. The blonde had a tiny frown on her lip, not wanting her to go.

“Did you like it?” Emma asked, which stopped Regina from her tracks, “The coffee. Did you like it?”

“It was decent.” Regina replied.

“That’s it? That's why you drank the whole thing?” Teased Emma.

Regina turned on her heel and looked at Emma, tilting her head, “Well if you must know..” She started, walking towards the counter, “I’m not the biggest fan of coffee.”

“But you come to a coffee shop. That makes total sense.”

“This place is new. I wanted to try it out.”

“Will you be giving us a 5 star Yelp review, then?”

Regina rolled her eyes. The blonde really had sass that was quite annoying, yet made her interesting.

“I’m not one for writing reviews.”

“Then.. I guess if I see you again, I’ll know that you truly liked it. If I don’t see you again, I’ll have to make better drinks.” Emma chuckled, “But… I do hope it’s the first one.”

“We’ll see, Emma.” Regina said softly, giving the blonde a small smile, “And it’s not Karen, by the way.”

“Then what is your name?”

“I guess you’ll know if I decide to come back,” Regina smirked and turned around, walking to the door and out of the small, cozy coffee shop known as _The Roasted Bean._


	2. Thursday Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just want to say thank you for all the love that this story is receiving. I am glad you all are enjoying it, and hopefully this chapter only makes you like it even more. If you are liking this story, please don't hesitate to leave any feedback; comments, kudos, bookmark it! With that being said, here is chapter two :)

Monday came and went without seeing the beautiful brunette. Tuesday passed right by, again not seeing the cute brunette woman. Wednesday was long, tiring, and yet another day without seeing the brunette clueless-to-coffee woman. Emma was getting certain that the woman she saw on Sunday was not going to come back to the coffee shop. So she really didn’t enjoy coffee, huh? The woman didn’t lie. Emma didn’t want to get too close to someone she barely even knew, but for the small time that the brunette woman was at the cafe, Emma felt… happy. Really happy. But it was a different kind of happiness. She was happy with her friends, but talking to the brunette brought an unusual, uncommon kind of happiness.   
She figured the woman had a job. Yes. Emma remembered her working on something when she went to the cafe on Sunday. The woman stayed for maybe an hour, or two. She couldn’t quite remember, but she knew she saw a stack of papers when the woman was sitting down. What job did she do? The brunette could pass for loads of things, she just looked so sophisticated. Emma groaned in annoyance. She had to stop thinking about this woman. She didn’t even know her name!

Luckily the coffee shop has gained more customers throughout the past few days. It was enough of a distraction for Emma to make drinks, cash people out, and clean tables after people left. Hopefully she didn’t have to do this for too long, hopefully she would be able to hire other workers. But she wasn’t in a total rush, since the place was still very new. She was still getting used to how business works. Therefore, she handled the small coffee shop herself.

Thursday was quite slow, not many people coming into the shop. This was definitely when Emma began overthinking about the gorgeous, chocolate-eyed woman from Sunday. Letting out a soft sigh, Emma decided to distract herself by cleaning the coffee machines. There was music playing in the background, just the modern pop radio station. She quietly jammed out, throwing away the coffee ground remains and empty syrup bottles. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn’t even hear the door open, or someone entering the shop. Or someone walking over to the counter.

“So, what do you recommend for today?” A soft, yet somewhat familiar voice said. Emma whipped around quickly, dropping a few of the empty syrup bottles on the ground. Her cheeks flushed red and she kicked off the bottles to the side, walking to the counter.

“You came back,” Emma whispered, mainly to herself, but the woman heard. 

Regina chuckled, “I did,” She raised a brow slightly at Emma’s clumsiness. It was cute. Too cute, “You didn’t answer my question, though.”

“Right! Uh, well… any of the pumpkin flavored drinks have been pretty popular recently,” Emma started, “My favorite though is definitely the pumpkin iced coffee with a hint of cinnamon. Simply amazing.” 

“Hmm,” Regina hummed and placed her hand on her hip, thinking. Her eyes scanned the menu, making her look like she was actually considering something else. Truthfully, she had no interest in ordering anything else than what Emma suggested, since she wasn’t too familiar with the drinks. After a moment of silent thinking, and Emma’s hopeful look, Regina nodded.

“Alright, I’ll try it,” spoke Regina, “Give me two.”

“Two? Oh, um, yeah. Okay..” Emma gave the brunette a forced smile before starting to work on her drinks. Emma had to try her hardest to keep her giddy mood up. Why was the brunette ordering two drinks? Was she bringing one to a significant other? Was the brunette dating anyone? Of course she was. The brunette was so gorgeous, what was Emma even thinking? 

Was Emma even thinking at all? She definitely had gone over her head with this one… Even if the brunette wasn’t giving this drink to a significant other, there was no way she was even attracted to the blonde. They didn’t even know each other like that. They weren’t friends. Emma, still, didn’t even know this woman’s name.

The coffees took longer than expected to make, with Emma asking herself hundreds of questions in her mind. Fortunately, once the drinks were ready, Emma snapped from her thoughts and set them on the counter, “Two pumpkin iced coffees.”

Regina walked over to the counter and grabbed one of the cups before taking out her card to pay. This time, Emma didn’t offer it on the house. Not for two. Not for someone who could possibly be dating the beautiful woman.

“What, not offering to pay up this time?” Regina teased, which made Emma’s mouth go dry. She swiped the card quickly before Regina spoke up again, “Good. This means I get to treat you.” 

Emma raised her eyebrow slightly, confused, “Huh?” She looked over at the other cup of coffee, “What do you-”

“It’s for you,” Regina said quietly, her cheeks now turning a bit red, “There’s nobody here, so sit with me.”

“Are you serious?” Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“No, I’m completely joking,” said Regina, rolling her eyes. She turned to walk over to an empty table, “Are you coming?”

Emma didn’t need her to ask twice. She swiftly grabbed the coffee and dashed over to where Regina was now sitting. She sat across from her, plopping down on the chair happily, “Try it.” The blonde nudged.

Regina chuckled before taking a sip of the cold drink. The pumpkin flavor wasn’t too strong, to which she was thankful for. The drink wasn’t too sweet either. She definitely enjoyed this one more than the latte. Emma smiled at the brunette, eagerly waiting for a response. 

“It’s delicious.”

“I knew you’d like it!” Emma said excitedly, “You definitely are one of those “fall season equals pumpkin season time” kinds of women.”

“A what, now?” Regina laughed, shaking her head. She had no idea what that meant, but seeing the joy on the blonde woman’s face was enough to explain she meant no offense to the statement. Emma took a sip of her drink as well, and sat back against the chair. Luckily nobody was in the cafe, and hopefully, for now, nobody would show up.

“Well, you never told me your name, so I’m gonna have to give you a nickname. It’s “Fall season equals-”

“Regina.”

“Reg-wh-huh?” Emma was taken aback, “Regina…”

“That’s my name.”

“M-Mine’s Emma.”

“I know. I can read your name tag.”

Emma looked down at her shirt. Ah, right. She had a name tag. Regina smirked slyly, taking another gulp of the drink. Emma smiled shyly as she watched the woman in front of her. Regina. Her name was as beautiful as her.

“Regina..”

“Yes?” 

Emma blinked, not realizing she had just said her name out loud. Regina was now looking at her, raising a brow in question.

“So I saw you working on some stuff the last time you came here.”

“Oh? You remembered?” Regina asked.

“No- Well- Yes, but.. I wasn’t like.. watching you, or anything. I just glanced- like- well, I remembered but like- I could’ve just not remembered but I just- my mind remembered right at this moment.”

Regina laughed again at Emma’s fumble with words and she shrugged lightly, “Mhm, totally weren’t watching me.” The brunette smirked. She knew damn well Emma had been looking at her. Truth be told, she stole a few glances herself, “I’m an English teacher. I was grading tests from last week. I got a little bit behind and didn’t want to do it at home. I came here and you know the rest.”

“You’re a teacher? Wow! You must be really smart then… and have lots of patience with kids.”

“High school kids aren’t so bad. I mean, yes, they may talk back to you, and give you attitude, and refuse to do work, but.. well.. yeah actually they’re quite terrible.”

They shared a laugh. Emma bit down on her lip.

“So why a teacher?”

“Well, why a barista?” Regina asked.

“I’m not just a barista…”

“Right, you’re also the manager.”

“I’m the owner,” Emma corrected.

“Oh?” That caught Regina off guard. She wasn’t expecting the blonde to be the owner, merely just a worker, “Forgive me for assuming the lesser.”

“It’s okay! I didn’t expect you like.. guess,” Emma chuckled, “But yeah, I own this snazzy little place. And you asked why, well, because I love it. I’ve always wanted to own a shop. I never had the money to, but, you know, business behind the scenes stuff and negotiations and everything. Before I knew it, I became the main man! Well, main woman. Main person of the cafe.”

“That’s wonderful,” Regina smiled. It was a genuine smile, something she hadn’t done in a long time. The blonde’s enthusiasm, energy, excitement.. it was making Regina feel more comfortable and more open. She hoped this wasn’t a mistake, getting to know Emma. She hoped it wouldn’t end up badly, like it always did.

“Yup!” Emma smiled widely, “I mean I’m still really new, so I don’t have other workers yet.. but I’ll get there, eventually.”

“All good things take time,” Regina said, “You’ve accomplished a lot so far.”

“Thanks, so have you, obviously!” Spoke Emma, “I mean I don’t know you that well, but I was a teenager once. I never really cared for school but.. I know teachers work their butts off for students and they don’t receive the appreciation they deserve.”

Regina couldn’t help but chuckle at that statement. Oh how true it was. Sometimes Regina hated her job, but it was so much better than what was at the other end of the stick for her. She’d rather choose teaching than what was in store for her, if she hadn’t. She took a few more sips of her coffee before she realized she had finished it. She set the cup aside, sitting back as she looked at the blonde.

Emma continued on talking for a bit, explaining how school wasn’t for her but how she got along with the teachers more than the students themselves. Regina got lost in her words, her voice, her. Emma was filled with such a bubbly personality, Regina swore if it was anyone else, she would’ve been annoyed. But Emma was completely different. She was filled with a lovely spirit, one that Regina didn’t want to pull away from.

And so she let her continue on speaking, because no matter what the blonde talked about, Regina enjoyed listening. She had always been a listener rather than a talker. The person that would receive information rather than give information. The person that was more reserved rather than open.

“— and that’s why I think that your job is so cool. You’re basically like a superhero,” Emma finished. The blonde woman realizes that Regina was staring at her, almost as if she was lost in thought.

“Regina?”

“Thank you,” Regina blinked, “For thinking that. It’s very kind. You don’t hear many people taking the time to appreciate teachers.”

“I’m surprised you were listening. You looked like you zoned out on me.”

“Oh..,” murmured the brunette, “No, I was listening. Maybe a little too closely.”

Emma smiled wider and heard the door to the cafe open. She turned her head slightly and sighed, “Well.. I should really be getting back to work.”

“Right, of course,” Regina stood up and grabbed their empty cups. She tossed them in the nearest trash can and looked at Emma once more, “I suppose I will see you again very soon.”

“I’d like that!” Emma said, standing up and walking up to Regina. The brunette tilted her head slightly, “Thank you for the drink, by the way.” Emma murmured, which earned her a small smile from the other woman. 

They looked at each other for a moment, bright blue eyes meeting chocolate brown. Emma wanted to make a move, quick. What should she do? Give the woman a hug? No that’s weird. A kiss. On the cheek? On the lips? No. That would’ve been weird, too. Super awkward. They didn’t even like each other… Right?

Regina noticed the hesitation from the blonde, but made no move on it. The brunette simply hummed a soft “Of course,” before turning to walk out of the cafe. Emma stood there, blinking for a moment. Damn it. She should’ve made a move.

“I’m ready to order.”

Emma heard the customer speak up, and she quickly ran to the counter to get back to her work.


	3. The Number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! So sorry for posting this chapter later than usual, I just got busy and didn't have the time to sit and write this one out. I'm hoping to get ch 4 done and published soon as well. Please enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think!

“There’s absolutely no way that she’s single, Ruby,” spoke Emma. Ever since Thursday passed, Emma realized that she really needed some new workers. She couldn’t handle the cafe by herself, but luckily she had some amazing friends who coincidentally needed a job. 

Ruby was the first person she hired. The whimsical brunette girl was Emma’s best friend, and she had recently quit her job working for her grandmother due to an argument. Thankfully, Emma welcomed her to the cafe and instantly gave her a position at work. Of course, two people weren’t enough to work, so Emma had also hired their other friends; Belle and August. 

Belle was another cute brunette, and she was a nerd out of the three girls. She also needed a job, since she was in college as well. Money was definitely going to be helpful for her. August was only a year older than them, and did writing as his job. But of course, writing wasn’t quite making him enough money, so the extra job was a bit necessary for him to be able to afford things.

“Did she have a ring on her finger?” Asked Ruby, who was learning how to use the coffee machines.

“I- well.. no,” Emma murmured, thinking.

“Has she mentioned anything about a boyfriend or husband?” 

“No.”

“And you told me she bought you a drink?” Ruby asked, to which Emma nodded, “Still think she’s not single?”

“Okay, maybe she isn’t dating anyone, but maybe she doesn’t want to. I mean, she did tell me she was a teacher. That’s gotta be stressful, right? I doubt she has the time to even date.”

Ruby chuckled at Emma’s response and turned to face her now. The cafe did not have any customers at the moment, and it was just them two. Emma had been training Ruby, and fortunately Ruby was a quick learner. 

“Doesn’t hurt to ask her out, though,” said Ruby, “I mean, if that’s what you want.”

Emma chewed down on her bottom lip. It was exactly what she wanted. She only met the woman twice, but she felt a connection that she couldn’t quite describe. The older brunette woman was just so intriguing, and she captured Emma in a way nobody else did. 

The blonde hadn’t seen Regina in the past few days, and she felt she was being deprived of her. Even though she had been busy, and Regina had been too, Emma wanted to see her so badly. The only way she ever did was when Regina came to her coffee shop. The brunette didn’t come every day, though. But why not? If Regina liked her, she would’ve made the effort to come see her every day, right? That’s how it is in movies. In books. Sometimes, in reality.

“I’ll figure it out, I guess,” Emma murmured. A few moments of silence passed before Emma’s other friend, and worker, Belle walked in.

“Hey girl!” Emma called out. Belle waved. Ruby’s cheeks flushed, “I just finished showing Ruby the easy stuff. I can show you as well, but first let me do the paperwork with you.”

“Thanks so much, Em,” Belle smiled as she walked behind the counter towards the two girls, “What’s the schedule going to look like for us?”

“Yeah, I’m working on that as we speak. I’ll probably need to hire one or two more people, but because of funds, I can only afford four workers. That includes myself. The cafe is closed on Sundays because, well, you know that’s when my parents and I spend time together.”

“And your brother, Neal,” Ruby added.

“Right..” Emma mumbled quietly.

“That’s fine. I do online school anyways, so I’ll be able to work more. Just please consider no more than 5 days a week.”

“I’ll make a note of that,” Emma nodded, “Come on. Rubes, you can handle the counter for some time, yeah?” With that, Emma and Belle walked to the office in the back of the shop, leaving Ruby alone. 

Ruby looked around for a moment before chilling behind the counter. There wasn’t much for her to do, exactly. Everything was clean, coffees were fresh, syrup bottles were filled, whipped creams were whipped, tables and chairs were cleaned. It was nice and peaceful, just what Ruby liked, but that didn’t last very long. A few minutes after the clock striked 3, a few people walked in. Most of them were teenagers, probably coming out of the high school that was nearby. Ruby bgan to get a bit nervous, but she had worked at a diner before. This wasn’t very new to her.

A small line formed as Ruby began taking orders and making drinks. Orders ranged from a simple iced coffee to an iced caramel macchiato with almond milk. Emma had left her with a list of instructions on how to make drinks, but even then, she was quite a bit slow. Thankfully, teenagers were usually nicer than full grown adults, so they didn’t mind waiting that extra few minutes for their drinks.

Ruby had gone through about four orders before she realized that the cafe was getting packed. Neither Emma or Belle were finished with their paperwork or whatever they were working on, so they didn’t witness that the cafe was getting some business. Customers sat down at the tables, friends talking amongst themselves while having their drinks. Ruby turned up the music slightly, and the cafe was blooming.

“One iced chai latte ready,” Ruby stated, placing the drink on the counter before walking to the register, “How can I help you?”

“Either you’ve dyed your hair and got plastic surgery, or you are most definitely not Emma,” the brunette spoke.

“Ah, you must be Regina, the striking brunette,” Ruby smirked, “Name’s Ruby, Emma’s hot bestie.”

“Striking brunette?” Asked Regina.

“That may or may not be what Emma referred to you as,” Ruby chuckled, “Anyways, she’s busy with a new worker in her office. Kinda don’t wanna bother her. You want a drink?”

“Actually, I think I’ll pass… Do let Emma know I was here, though,” Regina stated.

“Why don’t you let her know yourself?” Asked Ruby, “Not in a rude way. Don’t you have her number or something?”

“Um..”

“Of course not. She’s such a wimp. Here,” Ruby ripped off a piece of receipt paper and grabbed a pen. She wrote down Emma’s phone number, then handed it to Regina, “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind hearing from you. She probably was gonna give it to you sooner or later.”

“Oh, thank you, dear,” Regina murmured, stuffing the paper in her pocket.

“Mm, anytime. You sure you don’t want anything? Emma would want you to support her business, you know,” Ruby teased.

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes, “Fine,” she mumbled. She scanned through the menu, scrunching her nose as she did. She was trying to remember what Emma gave her last time. She trusted to drink that over anything else. Not that the coffees were toxic, but she didn’t want to get anything she wouldn’t exactly like. “Um… The iced coffee with the pumpkin flavor, I guess.”

“Gotcha,” Ruby stated. Regina paid. Ruby began making the drink.

Once Regina got the drink, she decided to take herself home. No reason to sit at the cafe and wait for Emma to finish up her work, Regina also had things to do. When she got home, she got herself settled in her work office and began flipping through assignments she needed to grade. Every few moments, she would take a sip of the coffee, which would remind her of the time that her and Emma sat together at the cafe. As much as she hated to admit, she was bummed at the fact that she didn’t see Emma.

Regina didn’t go everyday, mainly because every time she got out of work, she was too tired or stressed out to go anywhere. She didn’t want to bring in that negative vibe to such a relaxed little cafe. And she most definitely did not want Emma seeing her in that way. Even if they were just friends, Regina did not need to make a show of herself in that way.

Therefore, not seeing Emma today made her realize if the blonde had waited the past few days to actually see her, but got busy at the moment Regina went to see her. Had Emma waited yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that? That made the brunette feel guilty. Maybe Emma didn’t think about her at all, though. Maybe Emma didn’t care enough to think about her unless she went to the cafe. That just made Regina groan in annoyance.

These feelings had to stop. It has been so long since Regina felt like this with anyone, but she really didn’t need this feeling coming up now. Work was more important. Her own well being was more important. Anything was more important than some teenager, high school crush.

The rest of the day went by quickly, with Regina finishing her work and making herself dinner. It had been quiet in the house, and she put on a movie that she was barely paying attention to. What caught her attention most was the small piece of paper in her hand with Emma’s phone number on it. After Regina changed into her pajamas, she had felt the paper in her pants pocket. Thankfully she didn’t throw it out, but now she was here contemplating whether she should call, or text. Yes. People mostly text these days. Calling would be awkward.

_Hi Emma, it’s Regina._

And so after spending minutes questioning it, she decided to do it. Regina sent a text message to Emma, and hid her phone underneath her leg. God, she hoped Emma didn’t ignore it. She hoped the blonde would at least acknowledge it.

There was a buzz sound. A text.

_**Hey Regina! How did you get my number?** _

Oh.

_Your friend at the cafe gave it to me. I didn’t ask. She offered. I accepted._

_**You went to the cafe today?** _

_I did. I assumed you were busy, though._

Regina chewed her lower lip. She read over her texts and in her head, she sounded mean.

_**Yeah, I hired some people because, jeez, I can’t do all the work myself. Haha! But dang, I wish Ruby would’ve told me. I would have taken the time to say hi to you.** _

Oh.

What on earth were these… butterflies? In her stomach? No. No way. That definitely was not from the result of reading that text. It couldn’t be.

_You missed out on the opportunity, dear. Perhaps next week, yeah?_

Regina waited a few minutes for a response. Emma hasn't texted back. Did she cross the line? Upset her? Of course, it was just a joke…

_**How about tomorrow?** _

Regina chuckled. The audacity. The confidence.

_**I really would like to see you. I’m sorry for missing out today. Let me make it up to you.** _

Regina coughed at reading the message. Her cheeks were flushed red by now, and she was curled up on her couch, holding her phone so close to her face she swore she was going cross eyed at reading the words.

_Tomorrow, 3:15. Goodnight Emma. ___

___**So demanding, so strict. Okay :) Goodnight Regina, sleep well.** _ _ _

__After many, many months of feeling nothing, Regina was finally looking forward to another day._ _


	4. Sprinkles and Sparkles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for updating so late. I also apologize if this chapter is not so great, but unfortunately it is the end of this story. The end of this era. I hope I ended it on a decent note, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I never planned it to be a full on story, just a small fluffy story to get you all in your feels and spend some time with the OG OUAT gang. Anyways, thank you for reading!

She could not be more excited for today. Emma Swan had finally gained the guts to ask Regina out. Well, technically, she didn’t ask her out… she asked to make up for not being able to say hi to her. But that was kinda like the same thing, right? Either way, Emma dressed her best for someone who was working in a cafe. She had on black slacks and a buttoned down white shirt tucked in. It was simple, yet looked better than what she would casually wear.

At the cafe, she had Belle and Ruby working together, since Emma had a plan to leave when she met with Regina. Ruby was happy to know she was going to be working with Belle alone, but that happiness died down when the day went by. The cafe was pretty busy in the morning, but at noon, it all slowed down. This allowed time for the girls to catch up and talk amongst each other.

“So Emma is into hot teachers, now,” said Ruby, which earned an eye roll from Emma and a laugh from Belle, “Crazy, right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say crazy-”

Belle quickly interrupted Emma, “Very normal, actually.”

“Yeah, says the one that’s into an old hag,” spat Ruby, “You could do so much better, Belle.”

Emma raised her eyebrows at Ruby’s response. It was no secret that Ruby had a crush on Belle, pretty much everyone that knew them could tell. The only thing is, Belle was dating a man named Mr. Gold, who was significantly older than her. Ruby wasn’t happy with the news, and Emma continued being the supportive friend (even if it did kind of freak her out as well). She was not one to judge.

Belle acted as if she didn’t hear Ruby, completely ignoring her. She grabbed a rag and walked around the counter, beginning to clean off the empty tables. Emma blinked a few times, clearing her throat at the awkward silence.

“Anyways, can I trust you two won’t burn down the building while I’m gone?” asked Emma.

“Mhm,” Ruby hummed, “She’s just being a brat.”

“Only her?”

“Shut up.”

Emma laughed teasingly at her friend and shrugged, “Get over her, Rubes. She clearly only sees you as a friend.”

“Yeah well I don’t think you’d like to hear that if the roles were reversed, Emma. I still have hope.”

“Hopeless hope.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

“It practically is nothing, Rubes, but suit yourself.”

A few hours passed after Ruby and Emma’s small discussion. More people began to come into the cafe, to which Emma allowed Ruby to work more in the register. Emma spent most of her time in her office in the back. Owning a business was not the easiest thing for her, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world. This has been her dream ever since she was a child, and she knew being in a career that allowed flexibility for herself was necessary. 

Since she never went to college, she never believed she could get through with being a business owner. She didn’t want to own a hundred stores, or be a CEO of some company, but she definitely wanted a small place to call her own and feel like it wasn’t a job. With the money her parents saved her for college, she was able to invest and open a small coffee shop, and now here she was, working with her best friends. It didn’t feel real at times. Even though her shop was still very new, she had a good feeling that it will only grow. 

She wasn’t the only one hoping her career would grow. Regina had always loved teaching, but high school students were not her favorite. Despite her work, she also decided to take on getting a masters degree, then hopefully a PHD, to become a professor. She figured that would be much more interesting, and the students would be easier to handle.

That was for the future, though. Right now, Regina was quite content with the position she was in. Especially since her job wasn’t the only thing that was on her mind. She didn’t try thinking too much of it, but meeting up with Emma, intentionally, felt more than just seeing her in a cafe. It felt like a planned, yet quite unplanned, date. But she didn’t want to make any assumptions. The blonde couldn’t be into her. Right?

The clock striked 3PM, and Regina locked up her classroom after releasing her last class. She wasn’t staying after school today, no, she actually had plans. Getting in her car and buckling up, she drove her way over to the cafe.

The cafe got a little busy with younger adults in the afternoon, since they had gotten out of school, but that didn’t concern Emma. With Belle and Ruby working at the front, she trusted they knew what to do, otherwise they’d call her for help. She prayed they wouldn’t need to. 

Regina walked into the cafe a few minutes after 3, throwing her purse over her shoulder and lifting her shades up to the top of her head. She wasn’t wearing anything that stood out, only her simple work outfit, which was the classic pencil skirt and white shirt with, this time, black flats. Heels would hurt her feet after a while, and there was no need to torture herself.

“Ruby, right?” Spoke Regina as she got to the front of the counter. Ruby raised her head up and smirked.

“You remembered, huh?” Ruby teased, “I’m guessing you’re not just here for the tasty coffee.”

“The coffee is acceptable, but I’m more interested in seeing Emma.”

“Of course you are,” Ruby chuckled, “And the coffee is more than just acceptable. Emma wouldn’t like hearing you bash her stuff.”

“I’m simply giving my opinion.” Regina shrugged.

“You sure you don’t want a hot cup of coffee? You look like you need it.” A peculiar blonde spoke up, walking up from behind Ruby.

“Emma,” breathed Regina before clearing her throat, “And here I thought I was properly dressed.”

“I could clean up, sometimes. Rarely.” Emma chuckled, “Ready to go?”

“Rea— what?” The brunette asked.

“Did you think we were gonna stay here?” Asked Emma, “Pfft, no way. I missed out on seeing you last time, and I gotta make it up to you, right? Let me take you somewhere.”

“I don’t—”

“We’ll just walk. I’m not going to force you into my car or anything. The place I want to take you is literally down the street.” Said Emma. She worried Regina wouldn’t be comfortable with this. It was why she figured to take her somewhere nearby. Having met Regina recently, she figured it would be awkward to drive her somewhere. 

“Alright,” Regina murmured, “Let’s go, then.” 

Emma smiled widely and walked out from behind the counter, “Sweet!” She said excitedly, making her way to Regina. She looked up at her, her big blue eyes meeting chocolate brown. Emma almost froze.

“Dear?” Regina raised her brow.

“This way.” Emma snapped out of it and turned, walking out the door. Regina followed beside the blonde, biting down on her lip. It was quiet at first, the two just walking side by side. Neither talked… but Emma didn’t want it to be awkward. 

“So how was work?” The blonde asked. Was that a dumb question? She should’ve asked how Regina was doing. 

Regina’s eyes lit up slightly at the question, “Pretty good, actually.” She started, “Finally finished grading papers and handed them out. Many students did well on it. I was relieved.” The brunette chuckled.

“Sounds cool. I was always pretty good at writing.” Emma snickered.

“I’ll be the judge of that, dear,” Regina smirked, and Emma swore she tripped when she saw it.

“What are you gonna make me do, write an essay so you can critique my skill?”

“What other skills do you possess?” Asked Regina.

Emma blinked for a moment, registering the question. The way Regina said it, it sounded more sensual than normal. Was it an innuendo? Emma couldn’t tell, but Regina’s expression didn’t change much except for a visible smile on her lips.

“Perhaps you’ll find out for yourself.” Emma smirked, earning a blushed up brunette, “We’re here!”

They both looked up at the front of the place they had arrived at. It wasn’t… a place.. really. It was a truck. A food truck. Well actually, an ice cream truck.

“Ice cream?” Regina raised her eyebrow. 

“Uh huh! Choose a flavor.” Emma squealed, nudging the brunette. It almost made her laugh, seeing the blonde’s excited reaction. She was such a child.

“I think I’ll have chocolate with sprinkles. Or wait, chocolate vanilla swirl.” Emma murmured, “Yeah that sounds good. What about you?”

“I can choose any?” Regina asked.

“Duh! I’m treating you, so go all out if you want.” Emma smiled.

“I’ll have strawberry, then.” Regina said.

“With sprinkles?” Emma asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want sprinkles.”

“But sprinkles are good.”

“They don’t taste like anything.”

“So why don’t you want them?”

“Because I don’t like them.”

“But I thought you said they don’t taste like anything so how come you don’t like them?” Emma asked. Regina stayed silent. “You’re getting sprinkles.”

“Fine, but you’re going to eat them.” Regina said.

“Sure,” Emma snickered and ordered their ice creams. She paid and brought herself and Regina to the side, waiting for their order.

“You can be pushy, you know.” Regina murmured.

“I’m not pushy, I’m persuasive.” Emma smirked. “Besides, you didn’t even argue back.”

“I did too!” Regina huffed.

“That wasn’t even close to an argument. You had nothing to back yourself up. You’re silly.” Emma giggled.

“Whatever, Emma.” Regina muttered, though secretly she enjoyed the blonde’s fiery and playful personality. “You’re arguing with a teacher here. I deal with this attitude everyday from students.”

“Oh, please don’t give me detention, teacher! I’ll respect you.” Emma said sarcastically, laughing at the brunette’s reaction. Regina’s eyes widened a bit. 

“Mhm,” Regina hummed, “I’ll like to see you after class, Miss… Miss…”

“Swan?” Emma smirked.

“Miss Swan.” Regina said lowly, which made the blonde ultimately shiver. She gulped, no longer continuing this game or whatever they were doing. Their ice creams were ready by the time Emma regathered herself. She grabbed the two cones and handed the pink, sprinkle coded one to Regina.

They started walking around the area, licking at their cold treats as they talked to each other. Their conversation was like most; getting to know each other. The basics. They had a clear understanding of one another, it was as if they’d known each other forever. Everything felt so right between them.

“You know the ice cream is supposed to go in your mouth,” Regina chuckled as she realized the small chocolate smudge on the side of Emma’s lips.

“Huh?” Emma’s eyes widened, “Am I wearing my food? Dang, that’s embarrassing.”

“It could be worse, dear. I got it,” Regina stepped forward and swiped her thumb on the side of Emma’s lips, removing the chocolate. Their eyes met, Emma’s cheeks turning red with embarrassment as Regina did what she did.

“I-”

“Shh,” Regina shushed her, “Can’t you shut up for two seconds?” The brunette noticed the slightly hurt in Emma’s eyes and she hummed. She was never great at words, so actions it was. Regina leaned forward, breaking eye contact to kiss Emma’s lips.

Emma blinked, shocked for even less than a second before she instantly melted into the kiss. It could have been awkward, insanely, but it wasn’t. In fact, it was better than she could imagine. The brunette’s lips, not surprisingly, tasted like strawberries, but there was more to it. Emma couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she wasn’t thinking about distinguishing tastes right now. All that mattered was that they were kissing, actually kissing.

But Regina pulled back after a few seconds, letting the both catch their breaths from the utter shock. Not even the brunette had planned to do something like this, but it just felt like the right time. And neither of them were complaining.

“That was-”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s one way to shut me up,” Emma chuckled.

Regina smirked slightly at her words before looking down. She raised her eyebrow, “I caught you by surprise. Poor ice cream.”

Emma had dropped her ice cream the moment she had felt Regina’s lips touch hers. Neither of them noticed, well, until now. The blonde’s cheeks turned red.

“Oh, that’s okay. I was almost done with it, anyways. Besides, you tasted sweeter.”

“Shut up, we’re in public.” Regina murmured.

“You say that after you smooched my lips.” Emma teased, “I liked it. I mean, obviously, but like… not in a weird way. You just caught me by surprise and, you know.”

“I know, dear, I was there.” Regina chuckled, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For this date. It was lovely.”

“Ah, come on..” Emma said shyly, smiling at the compliment, “I know we didn’t do much-”

“We did just enough,” Regina said, “I enjoyed getting to know you, Miss Swan. Perhaps we can have another date again, soon.”

“Y-Yeah, totally!” Emma nodded quickly, “Do you, um, want me to walk you back to your car?”

“I’d like that.”


End file.
